diff --git a/src/ast.rs b/src/ast.rs
index 5087dd6..4441d32 100644
--- a/src/ast.rs
+++ b/src/ast.rs
@@ -1,84 +1,102 @@
+#![allow(dead_code)]
+
+/// imagine interning or something here
+pub type Symbol = String;
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
+pub struct Program(pub Block);
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
 pub struct Block(pub Vec<Stmt>);
 
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
 pub enum Stmt {
-    VariableDecl(VariableDecl),
+    Declaration(Declaration),
     Assignment(Assignment),
     FnDecl(FnDecl),
+    If(IfStmt),
+    Loop(Block),
+    While(WhileStmt),
     Break,
     Return(Option<Expr>),
-    Conditional(Conditional),
-    Loop(Block),
-    WhileLoop(WhileLoop),
-    ForLoop(Box<ForLoop>),
     Expr(Expr),
 }
 
-pub struct VariableDecl {
-    name: String,
-    init: Option<Expr>,
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
+pub struct Declaration {
+    name: Symbol,
+    init: Expr,
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
 pub struct Assignment {
-    pub lhs: Expr,
+    pub lhs: Symbol,
     pub rhs: Expr,
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
 pub struct FnDecl {
-    pub name: String,
-    pub params: Vec<String>,
+    pub name: Symbol,
+    pub params: Vec<Symbol>,
     pub body: Block,
 }
 
-pub struct Conditional {
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
+pub struct IfStmt {
     pub condition: Expr,
     pub body: Block,
-    pub else_block: Option<Block>,
+    pub else_part: Box<ElsePart>,
 }
 
-pub struct WhileLoop {
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
+pub enum ElsePart {
+    Else(Block),
+    ElseIf(IfStmt),
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
+pub struct WhileStmt {
     pub cond: Expr,
     pub body: Block,
 }
 
-pub struct ForLoop {
-    pub init: Stmt,
-    pub cond: Expr,
-    pub post: Stmt,
-    pub body: Block,
-}
-
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
 pub enum Expr {
     Literal(Literal),
     UnaryOp,
     BinaryOp,
-    Call,
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
 pub enum Literal {
     String(String),
     Number(f64),
     Array(Vec<Expr>),
-    Object, // todo
+    Object,
     Boolean(bool),
     Null,
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
 pub struct UnaryOp {
     pub expr: Expr,
     pub kind: UnaryOpKind,
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
 pub enum UnaryOpKind {
     Not,
     Neg,
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
 pub struct BinaryOp {
     pub lhs: Expr,
     pub rhs: Expr,
     pub kind: BinaryOpKind,
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
 pub enum BinaryOpKind {
     And,
     Or,
@@ -95,6 +113,7 @@ pub enum BinaryOpKind {
     Mod,
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
 pub enum Call {
     Function(Expr, Vec<Expr>),
     Field(Expr, Vec<Expr>),
diff --git a/src/lex.rs b/src/lex.rs
index 1d82fb8..5dc5496 100644
--- a/src/lex.rs
+++ b/src/lex.rs
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ pub enum TokenType<'code> {
     // ident
     Ident(&'code str),
     // punctuation
+    /// ;
+    Semi,
     /// +
     Plus,
     /// -
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index ca2be1e..0ec90d6 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -8,19 +8,23 @@ pub fn run_program(program: &str) {
     let lexer = lex::Lexer::lex(program);
     let (success, errors) = lexer.partition::<Vec<_>, _>(|result| result.is_ok());
 
-    if errors.is_empty() {
-        println!(
-            "{:#?}",
-            success
-                .into_iter()
-                .map(Result::unwrap)
-                .map(|token| token.kind)
-                .collect::<Vec<_>>()
-        );
-    } else {
-        errors
-            .into_iter()
-            .map(Result::unwrap_err)
-            .for_each(|err| crate::errors::display_error(program, err));
-    }
+    // terrible, but works
+    let tokens = success.into_iter().collect::<Result<_, _>>();
+    let _ast = parse::parse(tokens.unwrap());
+
+    // if errors.is_empty() {
+    //     println!(
+    //         "{:#?}",
+    //         success
+    //             .into_iter()
+    //             .map(Result::unwrap)
+    //             .map(|token| token.kind)
+    //             .collect::<Vec<_>>()
+    //     );
+    // } else {
+    //     errors
+    //         .into_iter()
+    //         .map(Result::unwrap_err)
+    //         .for_each(|err| crate::errors::display_error(program, err));
+    // }
 }
diff --git a/src/parse.rs b/src/parse.rs
index e69de29..495471e 100644
--- a/src/parse.rs
+++ b/src/parse.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+#![allow(dead_code)]
+
+use crate::ast::*;
+use crate::lex::{Token, TokenType};
+use std::iter::Peekable;
+
+pub fn parse(tokens: Vec<Token>) -> Result<Program, ParseErr> {
+    let mut parser = Parser {
+        tokens: tokens.into_iter().peekable(),
+    };
+    let program = parser.program()?;
+    Ok(program)
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+struct Parser<'code> {
+    tokens: Peekable<std::vec::IntoIter<Token<'code>>>,
+}
+
+type ParseResult<'code, T> = Result<T, ParseErr<'code>>;
+
+impl<'code> Parser<'code> {
+    fn program(&mut self) -> ParseResult<'code, Program> {
+        Ok(Program(self.block()?))
+    }
+
+    fn block(&mut self) -> ParseResult<'code, Block> {
+        let mut stmts = Vec::new();
+        loop {
+            if let Some(Token {
+                kind: TokenType::BraceC,
+                ..
+            }) = self.peek()
+            {
+                let _ = self.next();
+                return Ok(Block(stmts));
+            }
+            let stmt = self.statement()?;
+            stmts.push(stmt);
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn statement(&mut self) -> ParseResult<'code, Stmt> {
+        let expr = self.expression()?;
+        self.expect(TokenType::Semi);
+        Ok(Stmt::Expr(expr))
+    }
+
+    fn declaration(&mut self) -> ParseResult<'code, Declaration> {
+        todo!()
+    }
+
+    fn assignment(&mut self) -> ParseResult<'code, Assignment> {
+        todo!()
+    }
+
+    fn fn_decl(&mut self) -> ParseResult<'code, FnDecl> {
+        todo!()
+    }
+
+    fn if_stmt(&mut self) -> ParseResult<'code, IfStmt> {
+        todo!()
+    }
+
+    fn loop_stmt(&mut self) -> ParseResult<'code, Block> {
+        todo!()
+    }
+
+    fn expression(&mut self) -> ParseResult<'code, Expr> {
+        todo!()
+    }
+
+    // helpers
+
+    fn next(&mut self) -> Option<Token<'code>> {
+        self.tokens.next()
+    }
+
+    fn peek(&mut self) -> Option<&Token<'code>> {
+        self.tokens.peek()
+    }
+
+    fn expect(&mut self, kind: TokenType<'code>) -> ParseResult<'code, ()> {
+        if let Some(token) = self.next() {
+            if token.kind == kind {
+                Ok(())
+            } else {
+                Err(ParseErr::MismatchedKind { expected: kind })
+            }
+        } else {
+            Err(ParseErr::UnexpectedEOF { expected: kind })
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub enum ParseErr<'code> {
+    MismatchedKind { expected: TokenType<'code> },
+    UnexpectedEOF { expected: TokenType<'code> },
+}